Six things you can do when your boss says, “be creative”

Posted on Sep 18, 2011 in change, creativity general, creativity in organizations, inspiration, new ideas | Comments Off

“We need new ideas Jordan, get creative,” boss says.

“Sure thing,” Jordan says, meaning WTF, why now, OMG!

Jordan calls in a panic. “What can I do Marci?”

“Breathe,” I said.  “Take a look at the checklist from our session, remember the 6 points?  I’ve just emailed them to you, just in case.  Pick one to spark new ideas.  Ready?”

  1. Create something totally new: a new capacity, a new culture, a new team, a new activity, a new strategy, a new skill, a new paradigm, a new habit, a new friend.
  2. Enhance or Develop: your capacities, your team, your organization, your potential, your efficiencies, your effectiveness, your resource conservation, your sense of humour, your connections with others, your sense of self-worth
  3. Eliminate or Delete: something that is no longer useful, an old idea, clutter, inefficiencies, waste, confusion, obstacles, debt, bad mojo
  4. Implement Systems: sustainable change, upgrade your ability, communicate more effectively, engage new people, collaborate across boundaries, bump up your expertise, expand your networks
  5. Enliven: core values, satisfaction, curiosity, discovery, relationships, peace of mind
  6. Reduce: fatigue, confusion, anxiety, irritations, time wasters

“Just pick one and go from there. Remember to keep your sense of humour.”

“Thanks Marci, helps a lot.”

I’ve helped many individuals overcome the fear of what do to when the boss or client says, ‘be creative’ and am happy to help you too. Let me know if you’d like a workshop, keynote or webinar on these six (and the magic 7th) to help you over the hurdle to generating new ideas and making new decisions so the creativity can flow.

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